The College Football Playoff (CFP) determines the national champion of college football in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The playoff replaces the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which was used from 1998 to 2013. The College Football Playoff has transformed the landscape of college football, providing fans an opportunity to see their favorite teams compete for a chance to win a national championship. Many fans are interested in attending the playoff games in person. But can you actually purchase tickets to the College Football Playoff? Let’s take a closer look.
Playoff Structure and Ticket Information
The College Football Playoff consists of two semifinal games played at bowl sites selected in advance, with the winners meeting in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. During the initial 12-year contract, the semifinals rotate among six bowl sites:
Sugar Bowl | New Orleans, Louisiana |
Rose Bowl | Pasadena, California |
Orange Bowl | Miami Gardens, Florida |
Cotton Bowl | Arlington, Texas |
Fiesta Bowl | Glendale, Arizona |
Peach Bowl | Atlanta, Georgia |
The semifinal games and national championship game are considered neutral site games, meaning they are not played at the home stadiums of the participating teams.
Tickets to the two semifinal games and national championship game are made available to the general public through the bowl organizations that host the games. Most tickets are sold through the bowls as season ticket packages to existing bowl game ticket holders. The national championship game has also developed a priority point system for fans interested in ticket packages.
Availability of single game tickets varies from year to year depending on demand. Typically, a limited number of single game tickets are made available through the bowl ticket offices and are quickly sold out. Secondary market resellers like StubHub may offer single game tickets at an increased price.
Can Fans Buy Single Game Tickets?
So can the average college football fan actually buy tickets to attend a specific College Football Playoff game, like just the championship for example? The short answer is sometimes, but it’s very difficult. Here’s a deeper look.
As mentioned, single game ticket availability is extremely limited. In the early years of the playoff, some bowls with larger capacity stadiums, like the Superdome for the Sugar Bowl, made more single game seats available to the general public. However, as the games grew in popularity, availability decreased.
For the 2019 championship game, StubHub had over 1,500 tickets available the week before the game with prices starting around $415. But that was considered high inventory compared to previous years when fewer than 500 singles were on StubHub.
In 2020, no single game tickets were made available for either semifinal, as both were designated as bowl game sellouts, requiring the purchase of multi-game ticket packs. The championship game offered a presale for priority buyers, but again no singles.
The bottom line is the games are in such high demand that the bowls prefer to sell ticket packs to guarantee sales. For fans focused only on the championship game, singles are hard to come by. The best chance is watching secondary market sites leading up to the game for sellers offloading extras. But you can expect to pay a hefty premium over face value.
Applying for Championship Game Tickets
The official process for championship game tickets involves applying through an online request period. Here are details on how it works:
– The application window usually opens about a month before the game for a week or two.
– Fans must complete an online request form and specify number of tickets wanted. There is a maximum 4 ticket limit per household.
– No deposit is required with the application.
– After the request period closes, tickets are allocated based on the playoff’s priority points system. Priority points are earned based on number of years being a season ticket holder for a playoff bowl game or championship, plus other factors like making a donation to the local bowl organizing committee.
– Those selected for tickets are contacted within a week of the request period closing.
– If selected, there is a tight deadline, usually 1 week, to accept the offer and pay a 50% non-refundable deposit.
– The number of requests always greatly exceeds the tickets available. Many fans apply yearly and never get selected.
While not impossible, the priority points system makes it very hard for casual fans to obtain championship tickets through the official application process. You typically need to have purchased bowl game ticket packs for several years before having a realistic chance.
Buying Ticket Packages
As single game tickets are hard to acquire, the more reliable option for playoff access is to buy ticket packages, either through the playoff, bowl games, or college teams.
Here are some of the most common ticket package options:
Championship Game Priority Access
This ticket package is offered each year through the College Football Playoff for the national championship game. It requires a 3-year commitment and costs around $1,600 per seat for the 3 games ($535 per year).
Benefits include first access to purchase championship game tickets before the general public, priority access to purchase semifinal tickets, and other perks like gift packages and exclusive events.
Playoff Semifinal Season Tickets
Fans can purchase season ticket packages for one of the 6 rotating semifinal bowl games. This requires a 2-year commitment and costs $1,200-$1,500 for the 2 games.
Benefits are first priority for purchasing semifinal and championship game tickets when hosted by your bowl.
Conference Championship Game Tickets
Some conferences and college teams offer ticket packages that guarantee access to purchase conference title game and playoff tickets if their team makes it.
For example, clemson offers ticket plans granting playoff ticket priority for around $700 per seat. Costs vary by school.
Bowl Game Tickets
Bowls like the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl sell multi-year ticket packages to their regular bowl game, which provide access to playoff games when selected as a semifinal or championship site.
These plans can cost $1,500 – $3,000 for 4-8 games over 2 years including the major bowl and at least 1 playoff game.
Can You Get Playoff Tickets from Teams?
If your favorite team makes the playoff, is it possible to get tickets directly through the school?
Most college teams receive an extremely limited playoff ticket allotment, if any tickets at all. In 2016, clemson received less than 1,000 tickets to split among tens of thousands of season ticket holders and boosters. The number of tickets schools get varies based on factors like venue size and expected turnout of their fans.
Teams hold internal lottery drawings to distribute their limited tickets. Season ticket holders and major donors usually get priority. As an average fan, the chances of scoring playoff tickets directly through your team are extremely low.
Your best bet is to purchase ticket packages in advance from either the playoff, bowl, or school. This will position you near the front of the line if your team makes it to a semifinal or championship game.
Ticket Prices
To attend the College Football Playoff live, you can expect to pay a premium price:
– Face value ticket prices for semifinal games range from around $175-$450 per seat depending on bowl location and seat tier.
– The championship game has face values from $375-$1,250 per ticket.
– On secondary markets like StubHub, semifinal tickets can run $300-$700 with the championship game selling for $750-$5,000 per seat.
– Ticket package prices for multi-year plans generally average $500-$1,000 per year.
– Luxury suites can cost into the tens of thousands for the championship game.
Compared to a typical regular season college football game with tickets under $100, playoff games require a significant financial investment. The unique chance to see your team play for a national title doesn’t come cheap.
When to Buy
Here are some tips on timing for getting the best deal on College Football Playoff tickets:
– Purchase ticket packages and bowl season tickets in advance. This secures playoff priority before teams are announced.
– Apply for championship game tickets each year during the request period, even before your team clinches a spot. Accumulating playoff priority points improves your chances for selection in future years.
– Monitor secondary market sites for price drops leading up to the game. More singles often become available last minute.
– Playoff tickets are cheapest during the multi-year commitment period right after championship games, when packages for future years go on sale.
– Prices peak right as playoff teams are announced after championship weekend when demand spikes. Avoid buying during this period.
Are the Games Sold Out?
College football has some of the largest stadiums and most passionate fans in sports. Are playoff games guaranteed to be sold out events?
In the early years, there were concerns over whether the large venues of 70,000+ seats would fill up, especially during the New Years semifinals competing with other bowl games.
But thanks to the huge demand to witness the national championship race, sellouts have not been an issue. The championship game has sold out instantly every year, while the semifinals have sold out eventually after slow initial sales.
The playoff’s increasing popularity over its first decade has led to earlier semifinal sellouts. As of 2022, all games are pre-declared as sellouts by the host bowls. Fans must now purchase ticket packages in advance to guarantee a seat.
While limited singles may become available last minute, attending the playoff live requires planning ahead. The games routinely attract capacity crowds, making playoff tickets a hot commodity.
Travel Packages
For fans that want assistance arranging their playoff trip, specialized travel packages are offered through the host bowls, colleges, and tour companies.
Typical packages include:
– Game tickets confirmed in advance
– Hotel accommodations
– Ground transportation
– Official pregame parties
– Local entertainment and dining discounts
– Gift bags with apparel
– Personalized concierge services
Package prices range from around $1,500-$5,000 per person depending on location, length of stay, and amenities. Most hotels sell out years in advance for championship weekends. Travel packages ensure arranged accommodations.
While pricier than self-booking, packages simplify logistics and access exclusive events. They are popular options for an all-inclusive playoff experience.
Conclusion
The College Football Playoff has rapidly become one of the toughest tickets in sports. As interest continues growing, availability decreases and costs escalate. But various options exist for fans set on witnessing college football history live.
While limited, single game tickets are still possible through persistence and good timing. Multi-year ticket packages offer playoffs access in advance, especially for championship games. And travel providers can handle the arrangements to let you focus on the action once there.
Attending the College Football Playoff requires commitment through costly packages and patience battling scarcity. But for die-hard fans, the lifetime memory of seeing your team in a championship is priceless. The atmosphere and excitement of the playoff is an unforgettable experience for any college football lover.